By Jay Betsill
Ryan Moore finished on 17-under at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club to successfully defend his title. In winning the CIMB Classic, Moore became the first player to defend a title on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods at the Arnold Palmer Invitation in 2013.
“It was incredible to finish the way I did coming down those last few holes,” Moore said, following his 5-under 67 on Sunday. “I like to tell myself all the time that `I am a closer. Let’s just do what we can, hit good shots and let’s close this thing’ and I was able to do that.”
Gary Woodland, Sergio Garcia and Kevin Na shared a three-way tie for second at 14-under. Woodland finished to Moore in this tournament a year ago.
Notables in the field included Davis Love III (t8, -10), Lee Westwood, (T13, -9), Charl Schwartzel (T19, -8), Jason Dufner (T26, -6), Patrick Reed (T26, -6), Retief Goosen (T33, -5) and reigning FedExCup champion Billy Horschel (T37, -4).
Next week features two events on the PGA TOUR with the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China and the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, MS. Dustin Johnson will not return to defend his WGC-HSBC Champions title.
NOTES
— Tom Pernice, Jr. won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at the Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, AZ. The win came in a playoff over Jay Haas on the fourth extra hole. Defending champion Kenny Perry finished at 10-under, one shot out of the playoff. The top 30 on the money list qualified for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
Bernhard Langer wrapped up the Charles Schwab Cup title when Michael Allen won the AT&T Championship in San Antonio. Fred Couples, a two-time winner on the Champions Tour this season, finished T7, -6.
— Inbee Park, who reclaimed her No. 1 ranking from Stacy Lewis earlier in the week, won the LPGA Taiwan Championship on Sunday. Park topped Lewis by two strokes for her third victory of the year and 12th LPGA Tour title.
— Luke Donald switched coaches, leaving Chuck Cook to return to long-time coach Pat Goss.
“Chuck and I talked after I missed out on the Ryder Cup and the Tour Championship and we agreed that if after 13 months the improvements weren’t coming then it was wise to look elsewhere,” Donald said. “Chuck and I still have a great relationship, it’s just that physically I couldn’t do some of it.”
